Hobby horse



' Dec 21, 1965 c, STRADER 3,224,762

HOBBY HORSE Filed Oct. 10, 1965 United States Patent 3,224,762 HOBBY HORSE George C. Strader, 7826 Andasol Ave., Northridge, Calif. Filed Oct. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 315,133 2 Claims. (Cl. 2721) This invention relates to a childs toy and, more particularly, to a hobby horse which may be worn by a child rather than being carried by the child.

The toy provided by the present invention is in the form of a simulated hobby horse which can be attached to the child by a simple waist band or belt so that the child may have free use of his arms and legs as he runs around playing horseman. The toy is light in weight and is of practical yet sturdy construction so that the toy does not burden or hamper the movements of the child wearing the toy. All parts of the toy which simulate a horse are maintained automatically in proper position relative to the child, thus making the toy more realistic. The toy itself is inexpensive and attractive and is suitable for use by any child without adjustment other than tightening or loosening of a belt provided as a part of the toy.

Generally speaking, the invention provides a childs toy comprising a downwardly-bowed mainframe bar formed with a U-shaped curvature so that the bar may extend freely around the crotch of the child when the toy is in place. A representation of an animals head is mounted on the front end of the bar for positioning above the childs waist. A representation of an animals tail is secured to the rear end of the frame. The toy also includes belt means extending around the waist of the child for supporting the frame bar. The ends of the bar are attached to the belt means in front and back of the child so that, when the belt means and the main frame bar are positioned in place on the child, the bar will maintain the head firmly in proper position without any attention on the part of the child.

The above-mentioned and other features of the invention are more fully set forth in the following detailed description and explanation taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing the toy or play horse in the position in which it is worn, the outline of the child on whom the toy is positioned being indicated by broken lines; and

FIG. 2 is a section on the line indicated at 2-2 in FIG. 1, but drawn to a slightly larger scale.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the main frame bar, indicated by the reference character is of the shape and relative size shown in FIG. 1, and thus is in the form of a smoothly curved downwardly-extending U-shaped or semiellipsoidal bow having substantially parallel front and rear ends 11 and 12, respectively. The shape of the main frame bar is made of proper size to extend down and around under the crotch of a child in freely spaced position with respect to the childs body as shown in FIG. 1. In such position the ends of the bar are spaced adjacent the waist of the child.

The main frame bar 10 may comprise a light weight metal tube, for example, of aluminum, or may be made of plastic, solid or tubular, or may also be made of any other suitable material having sufficient strength to resist becoming bent or deformed under any active use of the toy.

To the rear end of the frame bar is secured a flexible belt 13, by which the toy is held in place on the child. Belt 13 also passes around and is secured to the front end of the main frame bar immediately beneath a simulated head 14 of a horse, or similar animal, which is rigidly secured on the front portion of the main frame bar. The front end of main frame bar 10, as indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 1, extends far enough up into head 14 to enable the latter to be rigidly mounted on the main frame bar. A simulated horse tail 15 is secured to the rear end of the main frame bar.

Preferably the flexible belt is a loop of elastic tape which is stapled or otherwise secured to the front and rear ends of the main frame bar. The elastic tape in its relaxed or unstretched condition defines two parallel lengths extending from front to back of the toy. To put the toy on, the child need merely spread the tape lengths apart and place his legs through the loop thus formed so that the main frame bar is disposed between the legs. When the frame bar is raised into the position shown in FIG. 1, the elastic tape has sufficient tension therein to grip the waist of the child and to hold the toy in position. It is within the scope of this invention, however, that the belt may be an adjustable buckle-type belt fabricated of cloth, leather or plastic. A belt fabricated of elastic tape is preferred in the present invention, however, since an elastic belt will hold the toy in place during the romping of the child without having to be fastened too tightly around the waist.

A pistol holster 16 is preferably removably secured to the belt 11 so as to be located at one side or other of the child, depending upon whether the child is right-handed or left-handed, and the pistol and holster add to the attractiveness of the toy by making the assembly seem more realistic to the child.

An important and unusual feature of this particular toy is the fact that the rigid curved main bar 10, by passing between the childs legs, keeps horse head 14 in proper position, just as in the case of the old familiar hobby horse stick, while eliminating the necessity of having any stick trailing on the ground and requiring to be held manually by the child. With other play horse toys adapted to be worn or carried as a substitute for the oldfashioned hobby horse stick, the general criticism has been that they have not proved entirely satisfactory to the child or sufiiciently attractive for very long use due in part to the ditficulty of maintaining the horses head in proper and erect position and also due in part to the fact that they have seemed awkward and clumsy to the child when secured to the childs body, and have interfered with the entirely free use of the childs limbs.

As will be apparent from this brief description, the play horse of the present invention offers practically no encumbrance to the child. The animal head portion of the toy remains in proper and erect position without any care on the part of the child, and furthermore the mounting or demounting of the toy on or from the child is a very simple matter. Also the fact that the toy is of such simplified construction and requires only light weight and inexpensive material for its manufacture, thus enablng it to be manufactured and sold very cheaply, enhances the sales appeal of the toy.

What is claimed is:

1. A childs play horse toy consisting of a single smoothly curved U-shaped main frame bar of material formed with the proper curvature to extend freely around under the crotch of the child when the toy is in place so that the opposite ends of the bar are disposed adjacent the front and rear waist of the child, respectively, the front end portion of the main bar extending upwardly above the waistline of the child, an imitation of a horses head secured to the front endportion of the main bar, an imitation of a horses tail secured to the rear end portion of the main bar, a belt consisting of a loop of elastic material mountable on the waist of the child for supporting the play horse in place on the child, the belt being secured to the front and rear portions of the main bar whereby, when the belt and therewith the main bar are positioned in place on the child, the main bar maintains the head firmly in proper position adjacent the childs waist Without any attention on the part of the child, and a gun holster mounted on the belt.

2. A childs play horse toy including a single smoothlycurved upwardly-opening substantially U-shaped main frame bar having substantially parallel spaced front and rear portions formed of material configured to curve freely around under the crotch of the child when the toy is in place so that the front and rear portions of the bar are disposed adjacent the front and rear waist of the child, respectively, the front end portion of the bar extending upwardly above the waistline of the child, an imitation of a horses head secured to the front end portion of the main bar to be disposed above the childs waistline when the toy is in place, an imitation of a horses tail secured to the rear end portion of the bar, and a belt consisting of a loop of elastic material mountable on the Waist of the child for supporting the play horse in place on the child without retricting free movement of the child, the belt being secured to the front bar portion below the horses head and to the rear bar portion and extending therebetween whereby, when the belt and therewith the main bar are positioned in place on the child, the main bar maintains the head firmly in proper position adjacent the childs Waist without any attention on the part of the child.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,914,732 6/1933 Breault 2721 2,264,214 11/1941 Lawrence 2721 RICHARD C. PINKHAM,'Primary Examiner. 

1. A CHILD''S PLAY HORSE TOY CONSISTING OF A SINGLE SMOOTHLY CURVED U-SHAPED MAIN FRAME BAR OF MATERIAL FORMED WITH THE PROPER CURVATURE TO EXTEND FREELY AROUND UNDER THE CROTCH OF THE CHILD WHEN THE TOY IS IN PLACE SO THAT THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE BAR ARE DISPOSED ADJACENT THE FRONT AND REAR WAIST OF THE CHILD, RESPECTIVELY, THE FRONT END PORTION OF THE MAIN BAR EXTENDING UPWARDLY ABOVE THE WAISTLINE OF THE CHILD, AN IMITATION OF A HORSE''S HEAD SECURED TO THE FRONT END PORTION OF THE MAIN BAR, AN IMITATION OF A HORSE''S TAIL SECURED TO THE REAR END PORTION OF THE MAIN BAR, A BELT CONSISTING OF A LOOP OF ELASTIC MATERIAL MOUNTABLE ON THE WAIST OF TH CHILD FOR SUPPORTING THE PLAY HORSE IN PLACE ON THE CHILD, THE BELT BEING SECURED TO THE FRONT AND REAR PORTIONS OF THE MAIN BAR WHEREBY, WHEN THE BELT AND THEREWITH THE MAIN BAR ARE POSITIONED IN PLACE ON THE CHILD, THE MAIN BAR MAINTAINS THE HEAD FIRMLY IN PROPER POSITION ADJACENT THE CHILD''S WAIST WITHOUT ANY ATTENTION ON THE PART OF THE CHILD, AND A GUN HOLSTER MOUNTED ON THE BELT. 